Steering mechanism for tractors



Jan. 26 1926.

E. w. SWAIN rr- AL STEERING KECHANISI FOR T RAC'I'ORS.

Filed July 7, 1924 mvzu'rons Eva): IMASw-alh Owen E. Smil'l:

' wheels, steering being efiected by a brak-' the other of the differential mechanisminthe Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVAN w. swam AND OWEN E. SMITH, on STOCKTON, CAIJIEORNIA.

STEERING MECHANISM Fon'rRAc'roBs.

Application filed July 7,

States, residing at Stockton, county'of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certa n new and useful Improvements 1n Steering 'Mechanism for Tractors; and we "do declare the following to be a' full, clear,

and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in the steering mechanism of a certain type of tractor at present widely used. tractor has no tiller or laterally steerable ingactiona phed to the main transverse drive shafting of thetractor, to one side or terjposed in such 'shafting.

he mechanism employed to attain this a horizontally split housing, the upper'pon fore the band can be removed, since the tion of which is removable.

The linings on the bands sooner or later wear out, and need to be replaced.

As the mechanism is arranged, at present, it i'snecessary to remove the upper part. of the housing to enable the brake bands to be removed.

This operation of coursev disturbs the varimoved, it is necessary to cut the, rivets between the band and one of the e'nd lugs b6- clearance ,between'tlie lower housing and the brake druni is not sufficient to enable/the;

lugs to pass ther'earound. As a result, re-

Herifig' at assets n and. the

his

bands having end-lugs, a fixed bracket overhanging thelugs, and screws passing 1924. Serial No. 724,582.

principal object of our invention is to elimimate the same by constructing and arranging certain of the parts so that to remove the bands, not only is it no longer necessary tocut the rivets between the lugs and bands I as above stated, but. the upper part of the housing need not be withdrawn. The said housing member is provided with an easily detached cover or manhole plate, and our device is so arranged that all operations can be carried out when this plate is removed. As a result of our device, the bands can be withdrawn, relined and replaced in but a fraction of the timepreviously necessary.

.The parts of our structure are so designed that they merely take the place of the corresponding parts now used, without anyalterations to the housing, or change in size of the. brake drums orother mechanism or parts of the tractor being necessary. A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one whichwill be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

: These objects weaccomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

y In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several v ews:

Fig. 1 is a top plan outline of the transmission housing'of a tractor, the upper part of the housing being broken away to show the transmission mechanism and our steering mechanism structure associated therewith. a i

' Fi 2"i'sa cross section on the line 22 of F1gpl. ,7 p v 4 Fig.3 is asectional view of a composite brake-end unit. 7, v 1 1 "Fig.4 is erspecti've view of the plate member of'suc Zunit.

-;Fig. 5 isja front end-view of a composite steer ir'igi-b'rake screw-bracket. j

Fig; 6 isai fra mentary bottom 'plan 'vieiv of the same. I i Referring now "more particularly to the characters 'of're'ference on the drawings, the numerals land 2' denote the transmission housing member thelower part 1 being fixed and the upper part 2 being removable. In" 'thishoasi g' is mountedthe' d ving ax e structure of he tractor, including a differential mechanism mounted in a casing 3, a master gear 4 alongside the same, and brake drums 5 on both sides of the differential mechanism.

Split bands 6 having the usual brake lining 7 are placed about the drums, tapped tending circun'iferentially of the hand. The

other part of said unit is a lug 11 vertically bored in alinement with and above the lug 8. Formed with this lug is a plate 12 having a close fit in the slot and having an exten sion .13 at its upper end overlapping the plate 9 beyond the upper end of the slot and secured to said plate by removable cap screws 14.

The two parts are thus locked together to form a rigid unit, in which the contacting end-faces of the plates 9 and 12 take all the strain, the Cap screws merely holdingthe parts against displacement.

The other featureof our structure is the steering brake-screw bracket, also a com posite unit, which takesthe place of the one-piece bracketheretofore used.

This unit comprises end pedestals 15 resting on the side flanges of the lower housing member 1, and secured thereto by bolts 16 which use the same holes already provided for holding the original bracket in place.

Vertical groovesl'? areformedin the adjacent faces of the pedestals serving as guides for tongues 18 formed on the opposed end faces. of a bridge. '19. This bridge has pads 20 which rest on top of the pedestals, being secured thereto by detachable cap screws 21. The bridge, adjacent its opposite ends is drilled fromntop tobott'om as at 22, to receive the usual steering screws 23 which pass through the lugs .11, and 8, and are screwed into the latter.

The upper faces of the lugs l1 jbear against the lower face; of the bridgewhen anycljamping strain ;is thrown onto the brake bands.

In operation, to remove the band-s,-j the cover plate 2 l'of the upper housing 2 is first removed, this 'cover being above the bracket and band-ends. Removal of this cover thus enables the screws 23 to be withdrawn, after which the screws 21 are taken the band beingout, when the bridge may be removed by raising the same vertically from the pedestals until the tongues 18 clear the grooves 17.

The upper band end unit is then fully eX- posed, and after the screws 14 are removed, the lug 11 may be withdrawn from the plate 9. This leaves the band 6 with only a slight projection above its outer surface which the housing about the brake drum will clear. Removal of the lug 11 exposes the lower lug 8, which is then grasped and pulled upwardly by the worker, causing the band, which of course is flexible, to be moved around its drum and to be withdrawn from between the drum and housing. The lining of the band may then be easily renewed, and the band is reinserted by a reversal of the movement necessary to withdraw the same, as above described, and the other parts replaced in order,

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

YVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and asplit-end band about the drum, and a lug structure on one end of the band, a bracketstructure mounted in the housing and overhanging the lug, there being insufficient clearance between the drum and housing to permit the lug to pass thcrebetween, and means provided with the lug and bracket structure for enabling the band to be withdrawn from about the drum without lateral deflection of the band and without disturbing the drum and housing.

2. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a readily detachable lug on one end of the band, a bracket structure mounted in the housing and overhanging the only removable upon the removal of the lug, and a detachable member incorporated with the bracket structure and disposed to permit free access to the lug from above being had when said detachable memberis removed, to then allow the lug to be removed.

3. In combination with. a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a band-end unit on one end ofthe band, said unit comprising a fixed plate and a removable lug mounted in connection therewith, the band being only removable upon removingtlle. lug, a bracket structure mounted in the housing and having a part overhanging the lug, and means provided with said structure for enabling free access to the lug from above being had, to permit of the removal of said lug.

t. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a band-end unit on one end of the band, said unit comprising a fixed plate and a removable lug mounted in connection therewith, the band being only removable upon removing the lug, and a bracket structure mounted in the housing, said structure including a detachable member overhanging the lug and against the under face of which the lug is adapted to bear.

5. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a readily detachable lug-on one end of the band, a bracket structure mounted in the housing and overhanging the lug, and having a detachable member vformed therewith, means whereby the band can be removed only by detaching the lug, and means whereby said lug can only be detached by removing the detachable bracket member.

6. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a lug structure on one end of the band, a bracket structure mounted in the housing, said structure comprising end pedestals permanently mounted in the housing, the lug projecting therebetween, and a bridge supported on and removably connected to the pedestals, the lug being adapted to bear against the under face of the bridge.

7. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, and a split-end band about the drum, a lug structure on one end of the band, a bracket structure mounted in the housing, said structure comprising end pedestals permanently mounted in the housing, the lug projecting therebetween, a bridge extending between the pedestals and having end pads resting thereon, and vertical tongue and groove means between the adjacent faces of the pedestals and bridge, whereby to hold the parts in alinement and permit the withdrawal of the bridge from the pedestals by an upward movement.

8. In combination with a brake drum mounted in a housing, a split-end band about the drum and a lug mounted on one end of the band; a removable member in the housing overhanging the lug and against which the latter bears.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

EVAN w. SWAIN. OWEN E. SMITH. 

